Forest official booked for teak timber smuggling in Kumram Bheem Asifabad
A deputy range officer from Balaji Anukoda under the Karjelli forest range has been booked for allegedly smuggling teak timber worth Rs 49,000.
Kumram Bheem Asifabad: A deputy range officer from Balaji Anukoda under the Karjelli forest range was booked for allegedly smuggling teak timber on Saturday.
Teak timber worth Rs 49,000 was seized by villagers while being transported on a tractor at Ranavelli village in Chintalamanepalli mandal on Thursday night.
Karjelli Forest Range Officer A Subhash said a case was registered for smuggling teak trunks that had fallen due to gales and were felled by smugglers, and transported on a tractor. She was found to have transported the trunks and timber for personal use with the help of her husband, when villagers intercepted the vehicle around 11 pm on Thursday.
The trunks and timber were later shifted to the Karjelli FRO office, and an inquiry was conducted into the incident. Based on the findings of the inquiry, a case was booked against the forest official and a report was submitted to higher authorities. Hymavathi is likely to face suspension from duties within a day or two.
Meanwhile, farmers from the region expressed displeasure over the smuggling of teak timber by forest officials, who were supposed to safeguard the forest. They flayed the erring official for exploiting forest wealth for personal needs while booking cases against those cultivating lands for agriculture. They urged authorities to take stringent action against those responsible.